Valve-controlling mechanism for gas-engines



(No Model.) D i H. G. FLETCHER.

VALVE GONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR GAS ENGINES. No. 456,256. Patentd July21, 1891.

- valves in mid-section.

UNITED STATES PATENT ()rricn.

HENRY c. FLETCHER, or PASADENA, CALIFORNIA.

VALVE-CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR GAS-ENGlNE S.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 456,256, dated July 21,1891.

Application filed April 16, 1891. Serial No. 389,157. (No model.)

.To all whom it mag concern..-

1 3e it known that I, HENRY O. FLETCHER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Pasadena, in the countyof Los Angeles and Statequired tosecure the highest explosive quality of gas and air mixture, and to soarrange the mechanism that the volume of the mixture delivered may beeasily increased or diminished by hand or automatic governor, ac-'cording to the work done by the engine, without changing the quality ofthe mixture.

My invention, broadly stated, consists of the combination of theair-pipe and gas-pipe of an ordinary gas-engine, a valve controlling theair-pipe, a valve controlling the gas-pipe, and adjustable intermediateproportioning operative mechanism connecting such valves.

My invention also includes the special mechanism described herein andillustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a plain elevation of my improved mechanism. Fig. 2illustrates the Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the doubly-adjustable clamp G for securing the gas-valve-operating arm and theconnecting-rod together. Fig. 4 is a crosssection of the clamp Htransverse to the con necting-rod. Fig. 5 is a section of the clamp Htransverse to the air-valve arm E. Fig. 6 is a View of the clamp-screwr. Fig. 7 is a section of a fragment of the handle with governor-rodattached.

A A are the gas and air valves, the same being ordinary cocks, asillustrated in Fig. 2.

B is the gas-pipe.

C is the air-pipe.

D is the graduated gas-valve arm.

E is the graduated air-valve arm.

F is the graduated adjusting connecting rod secured to the valve-arms Dand E by suitable adjusting pivotal clamps, as G and H. It is obviousthat the means for clamping the G to. hold the screws from turning.valve-operating arms are arranged to pro ect connecting-rod F to thearms E and D are capable of many mechanical variations, only two ofwhich are here illustrated.

The arm E is provided with means for attachment to the governor-rod I.

J is a pin fixed to the handle or arm 6 of the valve-arm E.

The governor-rod I is provided with a notch 2', which fits upon the pinJ, so that the governor-rod may be connected with or disconnected fromthe valve mechanism, as may be desired, to enable the mechanism to beoperated by hand in starting or stopping the engine. The pin J isadjustable longitudinally of the arm e to allow perfect adjustmentbetween the governor-rod and the valve mechanism. i

The connecting-rod F is pivotally connected with the valve-arms E and Dby the pivotclamps G and H, which admit of the axial and lateraladjustment of the several parts upon each other. The doublyadjustablepivot-clamp G consists of the stem is, provided with the oblong-basedscrew Z, the arbor m, and the intermediate flange n, the flangedjournal-screw 0, secured upon the arbor m by the Washer 19, and thethumb-nuts b and 0. By screwing the thumb-nutb the conn ecting-rod isclamped to the stem 7c, and by screwing the thumb-nut c the arm D isclamped to the flanged journal-screw 0. By this means the arm and rodare pivoted together, but are prevented from lateral or axialdisplacement.

The pivot-clamp H consists of the oblongbased flanged screw 1",extending through the slot 3 inthe arm E and through the pivot-hole c'in the rod F, and the thumb-nut a, provided with the bearing-arbort, ofa length slightly greater than the thickness of the valve-arm E. Theoblong bases u u u" of the screws 1', Z, and 0 fit the respective slots5 in E, F, and The from their respective valves substantially towardeach other, so that when the connecting-rod is moved along the arms itsdistance from one of the valves will increase as its distance from theother decreases, so that the movement of one'valve may be diminished andthe movement of the other valve increased, and yet allow theconnecting-rod to remain substantially at right angles to such arms. I

In operating gas-engines it is found dil'licult to always secureaccurate proportionment of the air and gas, because of (litterences inthe quality of gas. By means of my invention I am enabled to accuratelyand easily adjust the supply mechanism to produce the exact proportionalmixture of and air necessary to produce the most effective explosion. Inpractice when the engine is first connected with the supply of gas theproportions of air and gas desired are determined by actual trial in thefollowing manner: Suppose the governor-rodI to be disconnected from themechanism and the clamps G and II to be tightened, but not set in theproper position. Loosen the thumb-nuts a and c and hold theconnecting-rod F in the position deemed nearest correct by the operator.Then the thumb-nut c is tightened to hold one end of the connecting-rodF to the arm D, and the thu mb-nut a isti ghten ed to hold the other endof the connecting-rod F to the arm E. Then the thumb-nut b is loosenedand the fly-wheel of the engine is turned, and the two valves areregulated by the hand until explosions occur to drive the engine, andthe two valves are then set in position to deliver the smallest amountof air and gas that will produce an explosion to drive the engine whenworking without resistance. The thumbmut b is then tightened to securethe arm D and the rod F together, and the mechanism connecting thevalves is then moved to open the valves until the airvalve is wide open.Then loosen the thumb-nut Z) and move the gas-valve arm D back and forthto determine the position it should occupy to develop the greatestexplosive force. If this is the same position it occupied when last setat the time the valves were nearly closed, the thumb-nut b is thentightened and the engine is ready for operation; but if the position ischanged to deliver a larger pro portion of gas then the nuts a and e areloosened and the rod is moved toward the gas-valve and from theair-valve, so that the movement of the gasvalve is increased relative tothe movement of the tlPVZLlVG. The thumb-nuts a and c are thentightened, the valves are again nearly closed, and are again regulatedby hand to deliver the smallest amount of air and gas to produce anexplosion. The thumb-nut Z) is then tightened and the mechanism is againmoved to fully open the air-valve. If the proportions are found to bestill inexact, the operation is repeated until the mechanism is soadjusted that. the proportions will be correct whether the airvalve isfully or only slightly open. The governor-rod I is then connected withthe mechanism, and the engine is ready for oporation.

Now, having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of the pipes, the valves controlling such pipes, thelongitudinally slotted valve-operating arms, the longitudinally-slottedconnecting-rod, and means for pivotally clamping the connecting-rod tothe valve-operating arms.

2. The combination of the pipes, the valves controlling such pipes, thevalve-operating arm D, the valve-operating arm E, provided with arm eand pin .I, the connecting-rod I adjustable pivot-clamps connecting therod with the arms, and the governor-rod.

The combination of the pipes, the valves controlling such pipes, thevalve-arms, the connecting-rod, the adjustable pivot-clamps connectingthe rod with the arms, the adjustable pin secured to one of the arms,and the governor-rod.

l. The combination of the pipes, the valves controlling such pipes, thevalve-operating arms arranged to project from their respective valvessubstantially toward each other, the connecting-rod, and adjustablemeans for pivotally clamping the rod to such arms.

5. The combination of the pipes, the valves controlling such pipes, theslotted valve-operating arms arranged to project from their respectivevalves substantially toward each other, the slotted connecting-rod, apivotal clamp arranged to clamp the rod to one of the arms,the stem 70,provided with the screw Z, the arbor m, and intermediate ilange'n, theflanged journal-screw o, secured upon the arbor, and the thumb-nuts band c.

6. The combination of the pipes, the valves controlling such pipes, theslotted valve-op erating arms I) and E, arranged to project from theirrespective valves substantially toward each other, the slottedconnecting-rod F, provided with the pivot-hole, the oblong flanged screw'1', extending through the slot in the arm E and through the pivot-holein the rod F,the thumb-nut a, provided with the bearing-arbor t, of alength slightly greater than the thickness of the valve-arm E, the stemIt, provided with the screw Z, the arbor m, intermediate flange n, theflanged journal-screw 0, secured upon the arbor, and the thumb-nutsb andc.

HENRY C. I LE'LCITER.

\Vituesses:

ALFRED I. 'lowNsENi), Janus R. TowNsnNn.

